Catalogue description Prerogative Court of Canterbury and related jurisdictions: Acts of Court Books

The Acts of Court Books contain minutes of the proceedings of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury in instance causes. The volumes for 1651-1659 and those from 1733 onwards are in English, the remainder in Latin. They summarise each stage of the procedure and the judgements reached concerning the granting of probate and letters of administration, and include orders for the exhibition before the court of wills and inventories, and the issue of commissions in partibus to hear the testimony of witnesses unable to travel to the court. Renunciations of executorship and administration, and the appointment of curators for minors are also recorded.

The earlier volumes record the appointment and substitution of proctors and the sessions at which inventories were to be exhibited. From the early 17th century there is an increasing tendency to explain in a marginal entry at the beginning of each cause the nature of the proceedings, whereas earlier scribes were content to give only a marginal note of the parties involved.

For Prerogative Court of Canterbury administration act books see PROB 6

For documents appointing proctors to act on behalf of persons with an interest in business in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury see PROB 19

Many entire volumes, and parts of some others, before 1730 are wanting.